The Dangers of Authoritarian Leadership

With the war in Ukraine still raging and former President Donald Trump recently found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, the publication of A Psychoanalytic Study of Political Leadership in the United States and Russia: Searching for Truth is timely. In this book, the authors—an impressive selection of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychoanalysts, and psychohistorians—collectively pose two major questions: One, despite Trump’s numerous trials for sexual assault and criminal business dealings, why does he still have a huge following? Two, why did Putin invade Ukraine? Based on available background data and scientific mental and psychological assessments, diverse perspectives are presented on these two leaders’ personalities, authoritarian leadership styles, and effective leadership. Through an intricate weaving of ideas, profiles emerge on who many consider two of the most dangerous leaders in history.